Air-humidifier.



C. BECKER @L F. D. KLEINHEKSEL- yAm Humm-HER.

APPLICATION FILE-D MAR, 8, `19ML 1,206,081. Patented Nom-QH, MIU.

Z SHEETS SHEET I.l

C. BECKER & D.. KLEINHEKSEL.

AIR HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, I9I6.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-VSHEET 2.

9/o// /-/c a IIZIJIL- 45 /5' H ]TI\ LAWS. 727,

. UNITEDy sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIN BECKER AND FRANK D. KLEINHEKSEL, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

AIR-HUMIDIFIER.

To all whom t may concern: l Be 1t known that we, CHRISTIAN BECKER and F RANK D. KLEINHEKSEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Holland, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Air-Humidifiers, of whlch "the following isg-aspecification.

This invention relates to an improvement in air humidifiers, for use 'inu combination 'with heating furnaces.

The main objects of this invention are: First, to provide an improved air humidifier especially adapted l,to be used in connection with a hot air furnaceand adapted to utilize a portion of the waste heat usually lost through the chimney, although the humidifier maybe used to'advantage in other systems.l Second, to provide an improved air humidifier having suitable operating 'damp- 1 ers wherein the humidity of the air arising in the furnace pipes' may be regulated as desired or the amount of humidity may be regulated, no matter how delivered. Third,

tion by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims. A

' A. structure which isa preferred embodiment of our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a side elevation of our humidifier showing the same connected to the smoke pipe and the sheet metalcasing of a hot air furnace, the latter being shown in sectionand the dome of the furnace conveniently in full lines. Fig. II is an enlarged detail transverse section of our humidifier showing the' arrangement of the various arts thereof, taken on the line 2 2 of Figs. and

III. Fig. III-is a detail horizontal section through our humidifier, showing the ar-` rangement of the piping therem, taken on Specification of' Letters Patent.

the broken line 3 3 of Fig. II. Fig. IV

is an enlarged det-ail vertical vsection show- 'y ing the arrangement of the piping within our humidifier, taken on line 4-4 vof Fig. III. F ig.y V is an enlarged detail vertical section of the slide means'to facilitate the removal of the piping from the humidifier,

l Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application led March 8, 191. Serial No. 82,974.

modifi-cation of our humidifier` showing the arrangement of the various parts, takenl on line 9-9 of Fig. X. Fig. X is a detail horii zontal section through the modified humidifierstructure, taken on line 10--10 of Fig. IX.

In the drawing, similar reference characters Arefer to similar parts throughout ,the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section .lines.

Our humidifier is adapted toY be used in .connection with the ordinary hot air. furnace consisting of the usual cast metal fire box 1, the radiator 2, f-rom which leads the smoke pipe 3,.having a check draft 4 therein.'

The furnace is covered by the usual side casing 5, ythe conical top casing 6, invertedv cone deflector 7 and the various hot air pipes 8 lead therefrom. i

Our humidifier is adapted to be connected to the smoke pipe 3 between the furngce casing 5 and the check damper 4, as shown in Fig. I, whereby the products of combustion from the yfurnace will have to pass through the said humidifier lto heat and evaporate the water contained therein.

Referring to Fig. II, our humidifier con? sists of an -outer casing 9 and an inner casing 10 between. which casings is the heating flue space 11. On the lower side of casing 9 is an opening 12 embraced by the pipe 13 secured to said casing 9 and having the damper 14 therein. The spacesk betweenthe inner and outer casings are covered at their ends by theplates 15, see Figs. III and VIII, which are also provided with suitable central pipe fianges 16 to' connect the humidifier to the divided smoke pipe 3. The general shape ofv the casings are shown in Fig. II where the top of the same is wider than the casing body to facilitate evaporation.

Within the top of casing 10 is secured the water evaporating pan 17. The bottom of this pan is formed of a series of V-.shaped longitudinal corrugations 18, thus g1v1ng a greater area of heating surface to the said pan to absorb the heat from the passing products of combustion. At the furnace end of said pan, the bottom of the same is formed into a transversely disposed rectangular header channel portion 18, see Fig. VIII, in which terminates one end of the said V- shaped corrugations.

The to of our humidifier is adapted to inclose and) cover casing 9 and preferably is raised at the center. rlhe humidifier top is double walled, comprising plates 19 and 20 between which is a suitable heat insulator 21, preferably asbestos wool. The said plates 19 and 20 have a. depending outer fiange 22 which is adapted to engage and tightly cover the top of casing 9. A discharge pipe 23 is suitably secured to the said plates by the collar 24. Pipe 23 is led from the humidifier through the furnace top casing 6 and discharges centrally against the cone deflector 7, as shown` in Fig. I. Within the said discharge pipe is located a suitable damper 25. An opening 45 is provided to deliver from flue space 11 into the humidifying chamber above the pan.

From one side of the top of the humidifier extends the sheet metal hood 26, see Fig. VII, which is adapted to partially surround the smoke pipe 3, and has its bottom left open. Within the said hood is pivoted the damper 27 having the damper arm 28 secured thereto. Damper means 25 and said arm 28 are connected to be operated by chains or cords 29, 29. The upper portion of the side wall of thecasing 10 is left open at 30 so asto permit heated air to enter the humidifier from the said hood, which will, of course, regulate the humidity. The quantity of air admitted to the humidifier may thus be regulated by the dampers 14 or 27 and the passage'of humidified air may be regulated by damper 25.

' Awafer tank 31 having a suitable cover 32 thereon is secured by the straps 33 to .the said casing 9. Water pan 17 and tank 3l are connected by the nipple 34, a water tight connection between the two being made by suitable nuts and washers, as shown in Fig. II. From the bottom of tank 31 leads a supply pipe 35. Said pipe 35 is shaped as shown in Fig. III, the samepassing-through the end plates 15, then forming a bend 35 toward the furnace inside of casing 10. This bend is connected to the water pan by the vertical pipes 36 and 37, see Figs. III and IV, pipe 36 connecting the water pan at the center thereof while pipe 37 connects the same at the header channel portion 18 thereof. A suitable drain cock 38 is installed'in pipe 35 so as to drain the water pan and tank when desired. Water is ad? mitted to said tank 31 by the fioat controlled valve 39, which is controlled by fioat 42, Figs. I and II, which connects to the outside water circuit by pipe 40 controlled by valve 41. `The level of water to be maintained in the water pan is shown in Fig. II, where the same is slightly below the nipple 34, fioat 42 being so set to maintain this' level. To facilitate the removal of pipe 35 and pan 17, plate 15 is slotted at 43, the edges of which are bent and permits the slide plate 44 to open and. close the same, see Fig. VI.

It will be observed that when the furnace is in operation and water has been admitted to our humidifier, the waste products' of combustion will pass into the chamber formed by the casing 10 and heat-the water in the sald water pan 17. The vapor thus generated will rise up through the discharge pipe 23 into the furnace casing against the mix with the hot air from the furnace and thence pass up through the furnace pipes 8. The degree of humidity produced may be regulated by the damper 14 in the pipe 13, wherein outside air will be drawn through the said pipe and into the fiue space 11 and will thenmix with the vapors. The said fiue space therefore serves to heat this air and. thereby prevents any condensation of the said vapors. The amount of vapor rising in the said pipe 23 is regulated by the damper 25 therein.

The circulation from the supply tank 31 is through piipe 35 which connects to the horizontally sposed loop 35 disposed in the furnace end of the casing and smoke pipe. This is slightly inclined and connected to and delivers upwardly through pipe 37, and the circulation is induced by the heating of the loop 35 which takes water from the header channel 18' and circulates it downwardly and then upwardly to the pipe 36, sol that the water at the highest temperature delivers out through the vertical pipe 36 and spreads into the pan at the highest ont, and evaporation is thus greatly facilltated.

The connection we hswe indicated is much to be preferred, but very good results may be obtained by making the connections as appear in Fig. VIII, permitting the supply pipe 35 to deliver upwardly through plpe 36 into the pan and provide an independent circulating pipe system comprising the downwardly-extending pipe 37 from the bottom of the header channel 18', thence looping toward the `furnace horizontally and upwardly at 35" and rdelivering out at the cone defiector 7. Thehumidified air will` the supply tank 31'-, and When the hot water flows through at that point the colder water in the tank 31 will be displaced and be supplied into the vaporizing pan through pipes The quantity of dry air admitted into the humidifying chamber for circulation is controlled by the dampers 14 and 27 already described.,--\Vhere our humidifier is used with other heating apparatus than a hot air furnace, a pipe can deliver directly up from the top of the same to any apartment to be humidiied, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. I.

kIn Figs. IX and. X We show amodiication of our improved humidifier, in which in place of the corrugated pan 18 We corrugate a section of pipe at 50, and surround the same with a casingl which forms an annular Water chamber 52, see Fig. IX. The heated -products of combustion circulating within the same passes into the corrugations y of the pipe 50 and heats the surrounding Water. The tank 31, pipe 35 and loop 35 are identical with those illustrated yin the preferred form,l the .loop 35 connecting to an upwardly extending pipe section 60 delivering into the top of' the annular reservoir, as seen in Figs. IX and X. This structure is suspended by the bands 54, as distinguished from the supporting rods 40', 4:0 of the preferred structure. able to insulate casing 51 by a suitable heat insulator 534 held thereto by bands 54. The top has an inturned iange 22 to fit the vaporizer tank.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure b v Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a furnace having an inclosing casing, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a check damper for said smoke pipe, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by Said pipe and to the furnace side of said check damper, damper means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering Water to the said vapor casing, a Vfloat va'lve for regulating and controlling the level of the Water in saidt vapor casing,

a conduit leading from said vapor c asinginto the said furnace casingV for hum1dify' ing the air delivered from said furnace. and

- damper means in the said conduit for regulatingthe delivery of the vapor. A n

2. The combination of a furnace having an inclosing casing, a smoke pipe leadingtherefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, damper means for ad- It is desir-l van inclosing casing, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be delivering water to the said vapor casing, a float valve for regulating and controlling the level of the water in said vapor casing,

heated by. said pipe, means for admitting Iair to said vapor casing, a supply tank for a conduit leadingfrom said vapor casing into the said furnace casing for humidify-` ing the air delivered from said furnace, and damper means in the said conduit for regu-2 lating the delivery of the vapor.

4. The combination of a. furnace having'l an inclosing casing, la `smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing vdisposed tol be heated by said'pipe, means for admltting air tovsaid vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering water tothe said vapor casing, a float valve for regulating and controlling the level of the water in said'vapor casing, and a conduit leading from said vapor casing into 'the said furnace casing for humidifying theair delivered from said furnace.

5. The combination of a furnace having an inclosing casing, a` smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, means for admitting air to the said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering vWater to the said vapor casing,'

\a conduit leading fromsaid vapor casing into the said furnace casing for humidifying the air delivered from said furnace, and damper means in the said conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

6. The combination of a furnace-having an Y inclosing casing, a smokcpipe leading therefrom, a vapor 'casing disposc'd to be heated by said pipe, means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering water to the `said vapor casing, and a. conduit leading from .said vapor casing into the said furnace casing for humidifying the air' delivered from said furnace.

7. The vcombination of a furnace having an inclosingcasing, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe,'.damper` means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a conduit leadingv from said vapor casing, and damper means 'in the said conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

8. The combination of a furnace having an inclosing casing, a smoke pipe leading therefrom` a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, means for admitting air tosaid vapor casing, a conduit leading from said vapor casing, and damper means in the said conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

9. The combination of a furnace having an inclosing casing, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposdto be heated by said pipe, means for admitting air to said vapor casing, and a4 conduit leading from said vapor casing.

10. The combination of a furnace, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, damper means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering water to said vapor casing, a float valve for regulating and controlling the level of the Water in said vapor casing, a conduit leading from said vapor casing, and damper means i'n the said conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

11. The combination of a furnace, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, means for' admitting air to said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering'water to the said vapor casing, a float valve for regulating and controlling the level of the water in said vapor casing, a conduit leading from said vapor casing, and damper means in the saidl conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

1Q. The combination of a furnace, asmoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a supply tank for delivering water to the said vapor casing, and a conduit leading from said vapor casing.

13. The combination of a furnace, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, damper means for admitting air to said vapor casing, a conduit leading from said vapor casing, and damper means in the said conduit for regulating the delivery of the vapor.

14. The combination of a furnace, a smoke pipe leading therefrom, a vapor casing disposed to be heated by said pipe, means lfor admitting air to said vapor casing, and a conduit leading from said vapor casing.

15. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products of combustion therethrough, a vaporizer pan with a bottom containing longitudinal corrugations and a header channel connecting the said'corrugations disposed within the casing, a supply tank, a float valve for controlling and regulating the height of the water delivered to said vaporizing chamber and a connection overflow passage between said pan and supply tank whereby the pan overflows to said tank, a pipe from said supply tank looped forwardly toward the furnace side of said va orizerand upwardly and delivering into t e said vaporizer pan, a pipe connection from the bottom of the header channel to the said supply for insuring circulation, a wall surrounding said vaporizer forming a heating flue passage connecting above the vaporizer pan, an infake opening at the bottom thereof with a damper for controlling the same, and a delivery pipe from said vaporizer with damper ffor controlling the same, coacting as speci- 16. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having'connections in said pipe for thek passage of said products of combustion therethrough, a vaporizer pau with a bottom containing longitudinal corrugations and a header channel connecting the said corrugations disposed within the casing, a supply tank, a float valve for controlling and regulating .the height of the water delivered to said vaporizing chamber i and a connection overflow passage between said pan and supply tank whereby the pan overflows to said tank, a pipe from said supply tank looped forwardly toward the furl nace side of said vaporizer and upwardly and delivering into the said vaporizer, a pipe connection from the bottom of the header channel to the said supply for insuring circulation, a wall surrounding said vaporizer forming a heating flue passage connecting above the vaporizer pan, and a delivery pipe from said vaporizer with damper for controlling the same, coacting as specified. l

17. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of con'lbustion, a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products of combustion therethrough, a vaporizer pan with a bottom containing longitudinal corrugations and a header channel connecting the said corrugations disposed within the said casing, a supply tank, a float valve for controlling and regulating the height of the water delivered to said vaporizing chamber and a connection overflow passage between said pan and supply tank whereby the pan overflows to said tank, a'pipe from said supply tank looped forwardly toward the furnace side of said vaporizer and upwardly and delivering into the said vaporizer pan. a

pipe, connection from the bottom of the' header channel to the said supply for insuring circulation, and a delivery pipe from said vaporizer with damper for controlling the same, coacting as specified.

1S. In a humidifier, the combination with a. smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products of combustion therethrough, a vaporizer pan disposed within the casing, a wall surroundin said pipe for the passage of said products of combustion therethrough, a vaporizer pan disposed within the casing, and a delivery pipe from said vaporizer with damper for controllingthe same,coacting as specified.

20. In 'a'A humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, .a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said productstherethrough, a vaporizer pan with bottom containing longitudinal corrugations and a header channel connecting the said corrugations disposed within the saidcasing, and a pipe connecting the said header channel extending downwardly and then looped forwardly and upwardly and delivering at the l water level within said vaporizing panas specified.

21. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having connections in said pipe forthe passage of said products therethrough, and a vaporiz'er pan with bottom containing longitudinal corrugations and a header channel. connecting the said corrugations disposed within the said casing, as specified.

22. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion,v a casingl having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products therethrough, and a vapo'rizer pan with bottom containing longitudinal corrugations disposed within the said casing, as specified.

23. In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products therethrough, a vaporizer pan within the said casing, a supply tank, a ioat valve for regulating the height of water delivered into and from said supply tank, and a passage at substantially thewater level connecting the vaporizer pan and the supply tank so that on the expansion of the water to be heated it will overflow into the supply tank and displace the water into the vaporizer pan, as specified.

' 24. `In a humidifier, the combination with a smoke pipe delivering the heated products of combustion, a casing having connections in said pipe for the passage of said products therethrough, a vaporizer pan, and a coil connected to said vaperizer pan looped forwardly away from the chimney side of said lconnection .and delivering upwardly and into the pan at substantially the water level to insure circulation of .the water and the rapid evaporation of the same, as specified.

25. In a humidifier, the combination with a vapori'zer pan disposed to be heated by the products of' combustion, .a supply` tank, a float valve for regulating the height of water delivered into vand from said supply tank, and a passage at substantially the water level connecting the vaporizer pan and the supply tank so that on the expansion of the water to be heated it will overflow into the supply tankand displace the water into the vaporizer pan, as specified.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN BECKER.

FRANK D. KLEINHEKSEL.

Witnesses:

lB. Gr. TIMMER, M. J. TIMMER.

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